Fifty years ago, the Arctic Refuge (ANWR) was set aside with a new premise – to preserve wilderness and wildlife on an ecosystem scale. Today, stronger "Wilderness" protection is needed for the Coastal Plain -- the beating heart of the refuge vital to caribou, polar bear, migratory birds and Gwich’in culture--where oil drilling is proposed. Versión en Español

Diverse wetlands and vital salmon fisheries along the mighty Yukon River have been threatened by a proposed government land swap which would remove wildlife habitat from the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge to allow risky oil and gas development.

Molting geese at Teshekpuk Lake, falcon nesting along Colville River, Alaska's largest caribou herd at Utukok, and beluga whales at Kasegaluk are living riches in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Special areas like these must be protected.

The Beaufort and Chukchi Seas off Alaska’s coasts are part of the circumpolar Arctic Ocean. This bountiful zone is home to millions of migrating birds, polar bears, and whales, and the vibrant but ancient Inupiat culture. Oil and gas leasing and development threatens these vulnerable seas.

Prudhoe Bay oil fields are sprawling roads, pipelines, and other noisy facilities causing toxic spills, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Oil and gas development harms wildlife, wilderness and Alaska Native subsistence. That development in the Arctic Refuge will entail “2,000 acres” is a hoax.